The Human Workforce is Valued at $1.2 Quadrillion, Compared to $521Trillion Value of Physical Assets

Tony Brugman (Bright & Company)'s insight:

According to the analysis, human capital is the greatest value creator available to organizations. For every $1 invested in human capital, $11.39 is added to the GDP. Giving "a clear signal to CEOs" that "investing in people can generate value for the organisation over time: people as assets appreciate".

TOKYO -- Advances in artificial intelligence are blurring the line between humans and robots. As robots start to interact ever more closely with us, a

Tony Brugman (Bright & Company)'s insight:

Intriguing questions... An article in the Nikkei Asian Review asks whether it is OK to have sex with a robot, or to abuse one? These ethical questions arise when robots are starting to look more and more alike humans.

The article refers to a video of Google's Boston Dynamics, where a robot is being hit and kicked deliberately (for demonstration purposes...)

Many of Germany's small- and medium-sized manufacturers are moving slowly to achieve the marriage of technology and industry that policymakers and business leaders believe is essential to maintaining the country's industrial preeminence.

Tony Brugman (Bright & Company)'s insight:

The transformation for many of Germany's SME to embrace the so-called 'Industrie 4.0' is happening in a slow pace. While Big Fish like of Siemens and SAP have made the digitisation of industry a core part of their strategy for the future, the majority of the German 'Mittelstand' (the 99% of companies with up to 500 staff) are still struggling with making the leap.

Some smaller firms claim they do not have enough money or lack in-house IT departments. Others are hesitating to invest in new technologies until industry standards are set. According to a Roland Berger study, "Germany could lose a 425 billion-euro opportunity" when slacking too much.

After years of hearing about the coming robot boom, most Americans believe that the threat of automation in the workforce is real. But when it comes to their own jobs? Oh, those are definitely safe. That's the take-away from a report released Thursday by the Pew Research Center on th

Tony Brugman (Bright & Company)'s insight:

Interesting research by Pew Research Center. 65 percent of the respondents think that in 50 years time most of our work has been taken over by robots. At the same time does 80 percent think that, by that time, their own job still exists.

Researcher Aaron Smith: "There’s a real disconnect between what people think will happen in the abstract and the extent to which they think it will impact them."

U.K.-based startup Babylon will launch an app later this year that will listen to your symptoms and provide medical advice. Will it help or hinder the health-care system?

Tony Brugman (Bright & Company)'s insight:

Is this health-care app a competition for your doctor or for Doctor Watson?

How does it work? "Users will report the symptoms of their illness to the app, which will check them against a database of diseases using speech recognition." Then after analysis the app "will offer an appropriate course of action."

Also interesting: "the app will also be able to predict illnesses before they occur."

Critical Schumpeter contribution on performance management reviews. Which is better: old or new? According to the author: "some of the arguments being advanced for the new-style reviews are hoopla. Some are not just hoopla, but dangerous hoopla." - Nice read!

A new global survey indicates that Canadians were the least likely to agree that robots will make people’s lives better.

A majority of Canadians (63%) say robots will improve their lives, but this figure is still a lower percentage than in other surveyed countries. Canadians also worry a great deal that robots will take their jobs: 84% said they are worried about the prospect.

Interestingly, the survey found a notable gap between Western and Asian attitudes towards robots.

Beige partitions have given way to napping lofts, lunch gazebos and lots of open space. But are employees any happier or more productive?

Tony Brugman (Bright & Company)'s insight:

Office designs concerned with "employees’ happiness, well-being, instincts for play" sound too good to be true.

"The ‘‘disruptive’’ thinking that insists a workplace ought to care not just for your average needs (supplies, potable coffee, a microwave) but for your deepest psychological ones as well has its insidious side. (..) The sociologist William Davies has dubbed this complex of ideas ‘‘the happiness industry,’’ wherein your most private emotions and — through the introduction of ‘‘wellness’’ programs at work — even your health are now intimate concerns of your boss."

The 2016 Edelman Trust Barometer shows employees are the most trusted category when sharing information about areas such as company operations & finances, business practices and treatment of fellow employees or customers. In fact, they are more credible than Government & NGO representatives, Company Boards and CEOs.

Tony Brugman (Bright & Company)'s insight:

New research from Edelman Trust Barometer shows that employees can act as strong advocates of the company brand. Moreover, when companies are more engaged into tackling societal issues, the impact of employee advocacy strongly increases.

New research reveals surprising truths about why some work groups thrive and others falter.

Tony Brugman (Bright & Company)'s insight:

Great background story in NYT magazine on Google's Project Aristotle - a study (started in 2012) of hundreds of its teams in an attempt to discover why some were successful and others struggled.

In the end, the researchers concluded that "understanding and influencing group norms were the keys to improving Google’s teams." Such group norms are "the traditions, behavioral standards and unwritten rules that govern how we function when we gather."

CHRO success comes from two competencies: the ability to connect with people, and with the business

Tony Brugman (Bright & Company)'s insight:

Findings from the latest CHRO study by Patrick Wright and his fellow researchers show that the successful CHROs have two major competencies: "the ability to understand and connect with people, and with the business."

From the article in HR Magazine:

"The first focuses on building relationships through demonstrating a genuine interest in helping others to succeed. (..) The second competency focuses on developing an intellectual, emotional, and behavioural identification with the business so that commercial success takes priority."

Business success is more than financial or commercial success alone: "True HR leaders recognise that it also includes adherence to the culture and values, engagement of the workforce, building customer loyalty, and making positive contributions to society."

Sometimes it's better to just take your time and wait until the technology is fully ready.

Tony Brugman (Bright & Company)'s insight:

People who are hoping for a fast arrival of the autonomous Google car have to be prepared for some disappointment. According to the project leader at Google it could take another 30 years before we will see Google Cars driving on the roads near you.

The reason? Certain geographies and weather conditions. "Self-driving cars are much easier to engineer for sunny weather and wide-open roads."

Not a good trend... Many women share a theme that is both common and all too often ignored: senior women are being phased out of the workplace. An academic study published last year found “robust evidence of age discrimination in hiring against older women,” with the data indicating that it is harder for older women to find jobs than it is for older men.

Baruch's been reading Rise of the Robots by Martin Ford, the 2015 Financial Times and McKinsey (yuk) Business Book of the Year, no less. He's a bit embarrassed to tell you, avid reader though he be, that this book eventually defeated him*. He stopped reading it and picked up something a bit more light hearted;…

Tony Brugman (Bright & Company)'s insight:

One of my favorite visuals regarding the whole robo-this-and-that story. Nice overview of where various authors/books stand in the spectrum.

A company is developing apartment buildings with sensors, automated appliances, and the ability to learn an owner’s habits.

Tony Brugman (Bright & Company)'s insight:

The Home of the Future is almost here!

A new startup called 'Brain of Things' it is developing 'robot homes' at three locations in California. Its vision of future of home: "Perhaps the home of the future will be filled with robots. Or maybe that home itself will be a robot."

We are just standing at the beginning:

"Home automation is only going to get more useful as more advanced sensing technologies come out of the laboratory and into the home."

People who worry that we’re on course to invent dangerously intelligent machines are misunderstanding the state of computer science.

Tony Brugman (Bright & Company)'s insight:

Nice Q&A by Technology Review with one of the top AI/Deep Learning research leaders in the world, about the real threat of robots and machines to us humans. Will they eliminate us sooner of later, like in Terminator? Well, according to Yoshua Bengio, it might take a while...

As companies figure out how to best market to millennials, hire and recruit top young talent, and retain and engage their current rising superstars, intrapreneurship will become more so necessary than innovative.

Tony Brugman (Bright & Company)'s insight:

Nice example of how liquor company Bacardi is using Intrapreneurship to strengthen its' brand to a younger audience.

Win or lose, a computer program’s contest against a professional Go player is another milestone in AI

Tony Brugman (Bright & Company)'s insight:

Good background piece by The Economist on the Go-competition between 'Man and Machine'. Google's AlphaGo and the South-Korean highly acclaimed Go-champion Lee Sedol. In the long run (a founder of AlphaGo says) the human will eventually lose...

It seems like machines are taking all the jobs, so let’s nurture our ‘soft skills’ and keep people one step ahead

Tony Brugman (Bright & Company)'s insight:

In light of comings of the 'the Fourth Industrial Revolution', Katie Allen remarks in The Observer of The Guardian that we still need the human touch. She says we need to pinpoint areas where humans outperform robots and nurture those so-called soft-skills where humans excel.

Mercedes-Benz offers the S-Class sedan with a growing array of options such as carbon-fiber trim, heated and cooled cupholders and four types of caps for the tire valves, and the carmaker’s robots can’t keep up.

Tony Brugman (Bright & Company)'s insight:

The big story of last week: German carmaker Mercedes announces it will replace some of its' robots at the assembly lines with human workers. The reason? The current robots are too inflexible and in-adaptable. I guess 'we' have won this one for now.

When it comes to transparency, keeping employees informed of all news—even bad news—keeps them more engaged and less likely to leave.

Tony Brugman (Bright & Company)'s insight:

New UK-US survey shows that "more transparency is good for productivity and morale, and may even prevent some key talent from quitting." According to the study over 90% of the employees said "they would rather hear bad news than be kept in the dark". This makes 'access to information' an important aspect of employee retention and employee engagement.

Interestingly, when information is not properly or openly shared, the majority of employees say they will "resort to doing their own detective work” to find out what’s going on."

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